Opera gathering fiscal momentum

Houston Grand Opera expects to balance its budget for the second year in a row, general director/CEO Anthony Freud told Tuesday’s annual meeting of the HGO Association. Through April 30, the company ran a surplus of $375.665 after drastic cuts in expenses that matched major shortages in contributions, compared to original projections.

Freud also announced a $5 million, five-year grant from Houston Endowment for its Nexus Initiative of underwriting tickets for Houstonians who traditionally have not attended HGO performances. The program also includes plans to resume free outdoor Plazacasts of HGO productions in the Wortham Theater Center and annual performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Both activities have been severely curtailed due to declining ticket sales and contributions in recent seasons.

HGO attributes the projected balanced budget to a 58 percent increase in sales of season subscriptions and a 26 percent in contributed income to date, both compared to the 2006-07 season.